Bette Davis is the kind of actress that is preceded by her reputation. She was known amongst Hollywood as a hard woman to work with who did not shy away from conflict but actually did her best to seek it out time and again. Similarly, her personal life is said to have followed suit – at least if one wishes to believe the tell-all book by her daughter B.D. Hyman whose very allegations were brought into disrepute by many of the characters she mentions in the book.

The late Marlon Brando is perhaps the quintessential actor of the 1950s. At the right place at the right time, he was enamored by his craft, and stopped at nothing to hone is skill, further his career, and squeeze more depth out of any given role. Considered one of the greatest Method actors of his time, Marlon Brando managed to weave together the psychological motivators behind his on screen personas with his real life experiences.

Elizabeth Taylor is many things to many different people: some regard her as an enigmatic personality onscreen that lacked depth in personal life; others found her to be the most riveting actress that ever graced the silver screen; still others are awed at the depth with which she portrays her roles; and last but not least are those that simply dismiss her impressive artistic career and instead point to her eight failed marriages and bouts with drug addiction. No matter what your personal opinion of classic film star Elizabeth Taylor may be, two things are without doubt the truth: she is the first million dollar actress and you know who she is.